Earlier this summer, I was able to spend a good amount of time up in Minnesota visiting family. One of my favorite things to do when I am back home is to just be on the water or exploring the lake shore.

Minnesota copyright Eclectically K & L 2018

As my sister and I walked along the rocks one day with my daughter, we felt like kids searching for nature treasures. We love collecting driftwood and rocks from various places that we visit. My mom is an amazing artist and asked us to find some cool pieces of wood and sticks along the shore. We got so excited as we found interesting pieces and then I came across a chunk of wood wedged between some rocks. Naturally I had to figure out a way to bring it home with me and make something out of it, especially since I had worked so hard to free it from the rocks!

“Solitude is where I place my chaos to rest and awaken my inner peace.”– Nikki Rowe

Self care is so important! We all have such busy lives and spend a lot of time taking care of others. Taking time to do something for yourself each day not only nourishes your body but also your soul. You must take care of your mind and body to be the best at all other aspects of your life. You can not be the best spouse, parent, teacher, employee, friend, ect, if you haven’t taken care of your own mental and physical health. Here is a list of physical activities that not only nourish you physically but, also your mental health. Keep on Reading!

What do you have planned for this weekend? This week marked the first full week of school for my 5 year old and she is loving it, but really showing signs of tiredness. It will be the perfect weekend for lots of relaxing and a mother/daughter slumber party! Enjoy these links as you get ready to start your weekend off!

Are you looking for a new salad recipe. On Cup of Jo, Joanna’s sister shares her favorite go-to salad recommendation. I will give you a hint, the croutons are tiny grilled cheese sandwiches! Go check out the post here.

I follow Kelle Hampton on Instagram and have enjoyed watching how her summer trip to Michigan with her kids unfolds on her stories. On her blog, she has shared details about Bliss, her dad’s cottage, that looks like the perfect place to spend your summer days. Her dad and his partner share how they created their little oasis. If you don’t already follow her, I encourage you to so you can get a glimpse of her life with her kids. She has a way of making everything feel so special and magical for the people in her life.

I love the taste of chocolate and mint together. On The Real Food Dietitians, they have the perfect sweet treat. Click here for a recipe for 3- ingredient dark chocolate mint cups!

A Beautiful Mess shares easy decor projects perfect for renters. I love the dry erase wall art for a kids room! I may have to incorporate that into my daughter’s new room.

Finally, Pure Wow shares some easy tips to start your week off right. There are some great tips to incorporate on Sunday’s to help your week run a little smoother!

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.”
— Aaron Siskind

I love to take pictures and I try to capture happy moments throughout the year with my family. Children change to much year to year and one of my family’s favorite things to do is go though album of past years. With that said, I ordered 100 pictures off of Snapfish, like I usually do, but this time I didnt have an album to put them in. I thought about the bookshelf that I have all of our albums on, and decided I would do something different this time. I would use an old picture book and capture our 2018 year, in that! Keep on Reading!

The weekend is almost here and we are in the home stretch of Summer vacation. This is the time when things start slowing down and the last of the beach vacations are planned. August is known for sun and heat. I hope this month brings smiles and happiness to you and yours and that you live it up soaking in each drop of sunshine until Summer ends.

While you are enjoying your weekend, check out the cool links below:

I love the blog Nicely Non-toxic! Heather has so many great tips and tricks about using non toxic products. Check out her post on a conscious company called Live Clean. The products are reasonably priced and cruelty free.

This is a great post about cultivating calm and a great reminder to declutter internally along with externally.

In a dinner rut? Cupcakes and Cashmere has you covered! She has 25 yummy recipes that do not require cooking and the poke bowls look amazing! You can find the story here.

The Organic Child has a post on why extra curricular activities are so important for kids. Inspiring children to be well rounded is very important and the post have some great examples of what activities to choose.

Need a dessert fix after all of the dinner recipes above? Hello Glow has a gorgeous lemon tartlet recipe. I can’t wait to try it with my boys this weekend!

Kombucha is a fermented tea that has been around for a very long time and is associated with its gut health benefits. Not only does it taste good but, it is also good for you. I have always wanted to make my own kombucha but, getting my hands on a SCOBY from a reliable source is harder than I thought. So instead, my go to kombucha is GTs Gingerade. It is one of the lowest sugar varieties that I have found. If you prefer another flavor, feel free to change it in the recipe below. Keep on Reading!

A couple weeks ago, I posted some yoga inspiration here on the blog. Yoga has become very important to me and as my practice evolved that meant squeezing yoga in during the day while my daughter watched a show. At first, she just loved that she got to watch a show, but as time went on, she was excited to try out some of the yoga poses. It wasn’t long until she got her own mat and we were able to find yoga that was tailored to kids. Continue reading “Yoga and Mindfulness for Kids”→

Oh Monday, you get a bad wrap! I thought I would shake things up as we start this new week and list some things that make me happy. For some time now, I have ended each day with what makes me smile. I always pick three things from the day and sometimes I take the time to write them down and other times….well I just don’t. Ending each day with positive thoughts brings light to my day and gives me a positive outlook for the next day.

Being a happy, positive person is a choice that can be made each day and does not depend on anything other than yourself. Keep on reading!

I can’t even believe it, but next week our little girl starts Kindergarten! It feels so early to me, having grown up in the Midwest. Labor Day marked the end of summer and the start of school for us when I was little. Obviously there is still a lot of summer left, it just changes things up a bit in our household. We still have a bucket list to finish up, which requires a much needed trip to the beach!